Game apparatus.



No. 796,774. V PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

A,- G. THOMPSON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION rum) NOV. 25, 1904.

.24- Wxtnesses: I Inventor,

Httomegs.

ANGRHL l3v cm! 00 mm-umcammns. msmumou a a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed November 25, 1904- Serial No. 234,225.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT Cr.THoM1 soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have in vented a new and useful Crame Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus.

The object of the invention is to present a game apparatus in the use of which the exercise of skill in military matters will be necessary in order to achieve a victory; furthermore, to present a game apparatus which in use will create excitement and rivalry between the participants of a character that will stimulate any strategic talent possessed by the opponents.

With the above and other objects in View, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel arrangement of the game apparatus, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aview in plan of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a View in elevation of one of the figures or men employed in the game.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the board, which may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably of heavy pasteboard, and adapted to be folded on a central line, thus to reduce its width and, further, to protect the operative face of the board.

The game played by the apparatus of the present invention is termed China, the object being to conquer the Chinese territory. It may be played by two, three, or four players, each representing a different country, or, if preferred, three countries may be involved, two of which will combine against the third.

The face of the board is provided with an ornamented field in the center of which is a circular space 2, representing China and having that word printed thereon, the space being colored in yellow to represent the national color of China. Surrounding this space is an inclosure 3, representing a wall, which is printed in blue and bears on it a plurality of the numeral 3 for a purpose that will presently appear. This wall is quadrangular and surrounding it is a second or outer inclosure 4:, representing .the Chinese wall and being printed in red. Upon this latter Wall is arranged a series of approximately star-shaped spots 5, preferably in white, upon which appear the numeral 5, the purpose of which will presently appear. Projecting from each of the four sides of the Wall 4 is what is termed a royal road 6, this being printed inyellow, and disposed at the end of each of the roads is a star-shaped spot 7, printed, preferably, in red and constituting a fort. On each side of each of the roads is a field 8, which in this instance is divided into eight spaces 9, constituting what is termed leagues, these spaces or leagues subserving the same function as the squares of an ordinary checkerboard in determining the various moves. On one of each of the leagues adjacent to the wall 4 is an approximately star-shaped spot 10, which constitutes a fort and is preferably colored red.

he four corners of the board are furnished with an approximately quadrangular space 11 constituting a campus and on which will be depicted in appropriate colors the representation of the flags of the different nations represented in playing the game. In this instance the countries are Japan, France, Russia, and Great Britain. Each campus has a colored disk or dial 12, divided in this instance into six divisions, numbered from 1 to 6, and associated with each dial is a pointer 13, which is adapted to be whirled by the hand, the number at which the pointer stops determining the play.

v In playing the game there are figures employed to represent oflicers and men, each figure comprising a base 14 and a figure 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The rules for playing the game are as follows:

Rule I: Each player whirls the pointer to determine who shall take the first play, and the highest number procured will indicate who is to start, in this instance 6, and the game cannot be started until this number has been secured.

Rule II: The players at the right hand of the starter of the game must always follow and each must play the officer in line first, to be followed by the privates in their turn.

Rule III: The forts are safety-spots, and an enemy of one man cannot take a fort held by one man; but two men that are brought to a fort simultaneously by the figure 6 on the dial, which always counts double except in starting, can take a fort held by one man, but not if held by two men. The prisoner secured is removed from the fort and cannot be played until another game.

Rule IV: An equal number of men can take prisoners of war in any part of the game, except the royal road or a fort, when the pointers bring man to man on the same league or part of the board.

Rule V: When an army holds its own fort at the entrance of the royal road, it is advisable to keep the men in close order as practicable and also during the entire game. The enemy cannot pursue on the royal road, but

1 can take the fort at the entrance thereof.

Rule VI: At the end of the royal road and at the wall 4 all of one army must Wait until all the men that are left are in the last league or that adjacent to the outer wall.

Rule VII: To mount the Chinese wall, the pointers must indicate the figure 5, and each man of an army must wait until all of that army are on the wall.

Rule VIII: The blue wall, which is the last one to gain and gives the successful army the territory, must be taken by apointer indicating 3, and when all of one army are in possession of this wall first the nation is conquered and the war is ended.

Rule IX: After each and every one of the several armies have gone around the board in their various turns and find themselves at the fort at the left of their own starting-point their next move is up the royal road, and they cannot be followed by an enemy.

The disposition of the forts and the colors herein employed are selected as appropriate to the different countries indicated; but it is to be understood that these colors may be changed where other countries are employed in playing the battle.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is I A game apparatus comprising a board having a field provided at its center with a goal, a plurality of inclosures surrounding the goal and representing walls and bearing numerals indicating the play to be made to reach the inclosures, roads extending at right angles to each other from the outer inclosure and provided near their terminals with spaces constituting forts, fields on each side of the roads and provided with spaces constituting leagues, a space constituting a fort disposed on each of the fields, and a campus arranged at each corner of the board and adapted to bear the representation of the flag of a nation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT G. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. GRIswoLD, GEORGE H. CUMMINGS. 

